Apparatus for burning crude petroleum.



No."860,419 PATENTED JULY 16, 1907.

J. P. STAFFORD.

APPARATUS FOR BURNING CRUDE PETROLEUM.

' APPLIOATION FILED DEO.29, 1905.

witneoau r 9 .JQM 85% PATENT QFFIGE.

JEROME F. STAFFORD, OF MINNEAPOLIS, KANSAS.

APPARATUS FOR BURNING CRUDE PETROLEUM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1907.

Application filed Decembor29, 1905. Serial No. 293,808.

' my invention consists in introducing an oxygenous fluid, under pressure, into a confined stream of crude petroleum, or the like, at a point adjacent to but removed from its point of combustion.

My present application is intended to comprehend apparatus for the carrying out of that process in simple and, therefore, preferred form of embodiment.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, which constitutes a part of this application and in which a view in side elevation of a preferred form of my apparatus is shown.

1, indicates an air-tight tank or reservoir of any desired capacity for holding a supply of crude oil, It is provided with a filling-plug 2, which when in place renders the tank lair-tight, but which may be removed for replenishing the tank with oil as often as required. From the bottom of the tank 1 an oil-supply pipe 3 leads to a jet or burner 4, which is also designated as a point of combustion. The burner 4 may be of any desired construction adapted to deliver oil from the pipe 3 in combustible form. It may be located also at any convenient point and as far removed from the tank 1 as convenience may dictate. The illustration presented in the drawing is intended to be only diagrammatical and of suggestive scope sufficient to afford full explication of the principle of my invention.

The pipe 3 is preferably provided with a valve 5 by which the flow through the pipe 3 may be regulated or completely interrupted, at will.

6 indicates an air-tank of any suitable form and dimensions. It is provided. with a valve-controlled filling'hippleJ, to which a compressor may be connected at will, andv it is connected as by a pipe 8 with the pipe -Thepoint of connection indicated by the numeral 9 of the pipe 8 with the pipe 3 is preferably between the valve 5 and the burner 4; but it is essential to my process that the point 9 should be located at a distance, preferably in practice a few inches, fron the burner 4, so that air under pressure confined within the tank 6 and pipe 8 may be discharged into the body (if oil contained within the pipe 3, thereby at the same time subjecting it to pressure by which in passing through the burner 4 it may be comminutcd and at the same time supplied with oxygen for the support ofits combustion and the promotion of said combustion to substantially the highest degree of complete- DQSF- The pipe 8 is preferably provided witha valve 10 for control or interruption of the supply of air. as d esircd.

I also prefer to provide a pipe 1], affording communication between the tank 6 and the upper end of the tank 1, by means of which air pressure may be supplied to the tank for cleaning it and blowing out the residue, as well as for supplying a force-feed behind the oil contained within the tank 1, if the viscosity of the oil render employment of a force-feed necessary or desirable. also prefer to employ a prcssuregagc 12 in connection with the pipe 11 adapted to register the air pressure communicated from the reservoir (i. The pressure-gage is preferably carried upon a branch 13 of the pipe 11, which, upon opposite sides of said brzuich, is preferably provided" with valves 14 and 15. by which the gauge 12 may beindependently shut off from communication with the tank 1 or the tank 6, at will. I

From the foregoing specification. the following slatemcnt of what constitutes my invention will, it is believed, be clearly intelligible. My invention is based upon the introduction of an oxygcnous fluid, under pressure, into a confined stream of oil a short distance before it reaches the point of combustion, which is also the point of its liberation from confinement.

It. is found in practice that the result of the process hcrcin defined in the discharge of the oil from the burner, indicated by the immoral in the drawing, in finely comminutcd form, or in spray, with the result that a perfect combustion of the oil ensues. The result of discharging the oxygenous fluid into the confined stream of oil at a point approximate to but well removed from the burner 4 is distinct from that obtained by more atomization, or by atomization derived from discharge of air against or into the oil at its point of liberation. Atomization or comminution of the oil might be derived by pressure only, such as might be produced from discharge of the pipe 11 into the tank 1, for instance, and atomization of an air current discharged against the oil at its point of liberation is known in the art. From either or both of these methods my invention is distinguished, both in the mode of operation and in the results obtained. 1

What I claim is:

1. In apparatus for burning crude petroleum or the like,

the combination with an oil tank, burner, and oil pipe lending from said tank to burner, of means tosupply air or like oxygenous fluid to the oil while yet in liquid form and confined in the pipe. before it reaches the burner.

2. In apparatus for burning" crude petroleum or the like, the combination with an oil tank, burner, and oil pipe loading from said tank to burner, of means for supplying :1 force feed of the oil from the tank, and means to supply air or like oxygenous fluid to the oil while yet in liquid form and confined in the pipe before it reaches the burner,

.l. in apparatus for burning crude petroleum or the like, the combination with an airtight oil tank, burner, and oil pipe. leading from said tank to burner, of Inenns of supons fluid to the oil while yet in liquid form and confined 10 pipe between the tank and the burner, and means of snpplying compressed air to the tank for feeding the oil 5 thence to the oil pipe.

4. In apparatus for burning crude petroleum or the like. the combination with an oil tank, burner, and oil pipe Witnesses: lending from said tank to burner, of means for feeding the EARL C. Swnm, oil from the tank, means of supplying air or like oxygen- .T. JOHNSTON.

regulating the flow of oil and air, respectively.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twp subscribing witnesses.

| [flying compressed air or like nxygenous fluid int) the in the P ne before it reaches the burner, and means for l JEROME W s'nM Fn n 

